Era of Deceit
by Artifex Atrum
Summary: I have been sick recently and have had a hard time writing...I will try to have this out by Sunday
1. Chapter 1

"DUDLEEEEY!" Kitty's cries filled the air as she ran over to her partner. She fell to the ground next to him wasting no time to lift him into her arms. It was already to late, the grim reality was made all to real as her partners blood pooled around her. "PLEASE NOOO!" She held onto him tightly soaked in blood nearly head to toe. "No, no no no no no no, no, no!"

Snaptraps gang looked over to Larry who's blaster was still smoking. "Jeez Larry, we weren't actually trying to kill him." Larry was far to used to Snaptraps condescending attitude towards him. "Lets get out of here." Snaptrap and his gang fled the scene as fast as they could. He had no intention of waiting for the cops, he knew how that would end.

Kitty rocked back and forth with his body wrapped in her arms. The blood beneath her began to move. Running down and toward a large old scroll with strange markings on it. The flow of blood oozed across the ground. The markings on the paper began to glow as blood touched them. Dudley's life essence seemed to have a mind of its own as it swirled around the foreign symbols, tracing them. As each mark finished its design the blood began to smoke, turned black, hardened, and floated slightly over the scroll. "DUDLEee...e..y" Her cries echoed through the warehouse as tears fell down onto her partner.

The symbols on the scroll were traced almost instantly. The blood around the markings began to smoke as it heated up and boiled. Even the blood on and around Kitty was heating up quickly. _W-whats going...on? What is this! Why is his blood burning me! _Thoughts raced across her mind as she looked around the warehouse. _Whats going on? Whats happening? _She noticed the surreal sight of blood circling the scroll and symbols floating around it. _This is a dream right? This can't be real...that's right its all a dream and when I wake up I will see his wonderful smile again. He will do something silly make me smile and forget any of this ev-" _Her thoughts were interrupted with pain, her right arm wrenched out in front of her, reaching out for the ancient scroll against her will. It felt like the blood in her arm was on fire. Suddenly her arm twisted around forcing her palm to face the ceiling. She screamed as strange marking similar to the ones on the scroll carved themselves into her arm. She tried to pull her arm away but whatever held it in place was to strong for her to fight. She stopped screaming only as the last symbol finished its fiendish carving. Ten symbols formed a line from her wrist to her elbow. The carving were deep and blood ran down around her arm and onto the floor. She continued to struggle but was powerless to do anything. Her entire body was being dragged behind the arm now slowly making its way to the scroll. After reaching it the blood on her arm dripped onto the center of the scroll. "Du...dley...h-he...lp" The whole room grew dark as she faded into unconsciousness. "me."

"ley?...udley?...Dudley...Dudley!" Kitty stood over Dudley who was asleep at his desk. She was trying to wake him up with little success. "Dudley, wake up!" She used a more hands on approach this time nearly pushing him out of his chair.

"NINJA GOLDFISH!" Dudley quickly adjusted back to reality. "Oh, hey Kitty, whats up?"

"You fell asleep while we were caching up on paperwork and while you were drooling on your desk, D.O.O.M stole an old scroll from the museum and the chief wants us to get it back." Kitty said as she grabbed her blaster and badge from her desk.

"The sun isn't up anymore shouldn't we be off duty, and besides why does T.U.F.F have to get some old piece of paper anyway?" Dudley grabbed his badge as well but Kitty wouldn't let him have a blaster.

"Because its an important piece of our history. Historians and petropologists are yet to translate it. Who knows what it has to tell us!" Kitty's eyes gleamed with excitement. She loved ancient things, the older the better. It also reminded her of when she first met Dudley. She may have hated it at the time but now it was one of her fondest memories. "Come on Dudley, I guess snaptraps at some warehouse down at the docks." As soon as a destination was set they were on the road.

After a few minutes of silent driving they arrived at the warehouse. Kitty had left the window down so Dudley could have his fresh air, but it was mostly so he would be quiet. Now that his mind was no longer preoccupied..."Hey Kitty!" Dudley's voice echoed throw the narrow alleys of tightly cramped rows of warehouses.

"Dudley! Are you trying to give away our position?" Kitty said in a whisper.

"Oh, sorry Kitty." Dudley responded. "So what do you think they wanted this old paper for anyway?"

"I have no idea, and its a scroll, not, a piece of paper Dudley." Kitty was even quieter because they were both already at the door. A sign hung from it that read, D.O.O.M gaming headquarters. "D.O.O.M is using this warehouse for games?"

"Oh this must be were Snaptrap holds his famous Serpents and Cellars games. I once made a serpent knight of barkhamut but Snaptrap gave me the wrong address. I spent hours waiting at that bus stop...BUT HE NEVER CAME TO GET ME!"

"What was that! Larry get the lights." Snaptrap gave commands inside the warehouse. Shortly after the lights went out.

Kitty was a quick thinker though so she kicked the door down hoping to catch them before they armed themselves. The room was pitch black, Kitty's eyes reflecting a yellow glow from the moonlight that poured in from the door. Her blaster was readied as she searched the room. It was times like these she was glad she was a cat. Dudley followed closely behind her unable to see nearly as well she could. He followed her until she stepped out of what little light the door let in. He didn't need to see her though because he could still smell her. He followed her scent until it got strong enough that he knew he was standing next to her.

"Do you see anything Kitty?" Dudley asked quietly.

"Nothing yet, can you sniff them out?" Kitty scanned the almost empty warehouse for any sign of Snaptrap or his goons but was having no luck.

"I got to much on my end. There smell is everywhere in here. I can't tell whats up our down in this place, don't they bathe." The smell in the room was almost bringing tears to Dudley's eyes. He smelled everything from filthy rat to the salty sweet smell of playdough.

"Behold!" Snaptrap boldly proclaimed his location as the lights flickered on. He reached his hand out and pressed the only button on a crude remote. A cage dropped down right over the top of Kitty and Dudley. They didn't have enough time to react and found themselves caught in trap. "I knew you would come to spoil my fun. But I, Verminious Snaptrap, have outwitted the best T.U.F.F has to offer." He laughed victoriously. "Now if you don't mind, I, have a game to run. Ok boys grab your three and eleven sided dice. Were not going to let a couple agents ruin our night."

Kitty waited for their attention to wander before trying to escape. Her claws my be registered as lethal weapons but they worked well for picking locks too. She also noticed the scroll, they were using it as a prop. Snaptrap pulled it out as a prop for there game. "You stole a priceless scroll, so you could use it for your game?" Her plan was working a little to well. They were to engrossed in their game to even notice her aggravation. "Ok Dudley the locks picked are you ready?"

"I was born ready." Dudley answered cheerfully.

"Ok then on the count of three we strike." Kitty put her hand up with one finger up, then two.

"Francisco finishes off the bee-holder and takes his honey. All of you get sacks of grasping, except when Larry opens his, it bites off his arm, and I dear anyone to try and heal it." Snaptrap grinned a crooked grin at Larry. It was still unknown exactly what Larry did to make Snaptrap hate him so much. Perhaps the bigger mystery is why he hangs around D.O.O.M at all.

"Three!"Kitty and Dudley charged at Kitty's command. With three well placed slashes Kitty took Ollie out of the fight.

Dudley was barreling down on Francisco determined to take him out with a showy move to impress Kitty. "Don't worry Kitty I got this guy." His plans were foiled though when Francisco pulled a blaster. It fired singeing Dudley's fur. "I was just at the groomer!" Dudley whined diving behind there gaming table. Kitty soon joined him flipping the table down to offer better cover, sending the scroll flying into the room.

"No! The scroll!" Kitty tried to reach out for it but was forced to withdraw her arm. All of D.O.O.M, except Ollie, had there blasters pulled and shooting at the table. Kitty was returning fire looking for an opportunity to escape and get an upper hand.

Meanwhile Dudley who is unarmed, decided to have a little fun and taunt D.O.O.M. "Your aim sucks." A few more shots are fired. "You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn." After a few more shots Dudley popped up from behind the table with his hands on his ears waving them around taunting D.O.O.M. "Betcha can't hit me. Blebalablebalable." Dudley ducked up and down waving his hand with his thumbs in his ears. An occasional shot came close but none were in danger of hitting him.

"Dudley stay down!" Kitty's cries fell on deaf ears. Dudley was to preoccupied with his new game. She tried to make her way to him but shots where piercing the table. She was pinned and was helpless to stop what was coming.

Larry was also unarmed. Snaptrap didn't let him have blaster either but for an entirely different reason. He saw Ollie's blaster still at his side and went to pick it up. _I don't deserve to be treated like this. First Verminious ridicules me every chance he gets and now this mutt doesn't even know his place. _Getting to the blaster was easy. Ollie was out cold but Larry planned to put his blaster to use. He stood up, blaster in hand, and took aim. _I'll show him. I'll show them all. _He waited for the mutt to pop his head out again. After his arms were steady and his mind was clear he waited for his chance. Dudley popped his head out and had his stupid grin. Though he taunted them he was right. They couldn't hit him if they tried, there shots were getting sloppier and sloppier. Larry's shot was already lined up. He took it, firing twice, his aim, wasn't sloppy.

To Kitty's horror Dudley slumped down and fell to the side. Smoke trailed from the middle of his forehead and chest.

"DUDLEEEEY!"...

Kitty's eyes fluttered open, the pain in her arm felt almost numb. She looked around trying to figure out what was going on. It looked strange to her, the perspective seemed off. Then it hit her, she was being carried. She looked up and saw a strange man. She struggled to get free but was to weak to move much. To her surprise he simply set her down. A sharp pain in her arm reminded her of what happened. She could barely stand, confused, in pain, and all she wanted to do was curl up and cry. Though she knew she couldn't loose it now she had other things to worry about. Like this man, he looked like a chimp with mange but his face was to flat. He didn't seem aggressive and kept his distance so she took a quick look around trying to get her bearings. She was shocked to see that she was still at the docks. Only the warehouse, the center of her sorrow, was gone. All she could see was a large black dome of solid darkness. It was huge, much larger than the size of the warehouse. She looked back over to the man who was still at a distance. Strange was the best word she could think of when trying to figure out what he was. He had short black, messy hair but again no fur. Not anywhere she could see anyway. His head, arms, and his feet were the only parts of him not concealed. His skin was pale, almost sickly, which was only accentuated by the black clothes he wore. They seemed to almost absorb any light that dared come near. He had no sleeves on his shirt or the long trench coat that touched the ground at his bare hairless feet. He wore full pants as well that covered his legs entirely but looked easy to move in. Strange looks aside, she could tell he was a fighter merely by looking at the way her carried himself. But she was depressed and wanted answers, and one way or the other she planned to get them. "Who, no what are you? And why are you here?"

The man smiled. "My name is Kumori Tenma. My race is human and I am here to protect you" He knelt down on one knee and bowed the rest of his body. "master."


	2. Chapter 2

"Human? What kind of animal is..." curiosity would have to wait. Her thoughts were still fragmented from the tragedy. "Dudley!" She looked to the dome of darkness, running toward it. "Dudley!" Her hands stopped against the dome wall. It was solid as stone. She pounded against it ignoring the pain in her arm. "He's gone...He's really gone...Isn't he." She turned to Kumori with tears filling her eyes.

Kumori stared at her briefly than moved in next to her and the dome. "As things stand he is far beyond our reach." He himself was still not sure the exact reason for him being there. _She has the marks on her arm. The pain she feels from the marks is proof that she was not properly prepared for the ritual. I do not know how she came across this magic but it is clear that my existence here is a mistake._ He looked around his surroundings and at the size of the dome. _This Dudley she mentions seems to have been the unwitting sacrifice for my summons here. Then, there's this._ He placed his hand on the dome as Kitty sat on the ground mourning the loss of her partner. _Poor girl, she has no idea the war she has just been dragged into. It matters not to me though. She has the marks and as such is my master for the time being. I will guard her and learn more about this world. It does feel strange though almost like I..._The world around him seemed to spin. He found it hard to concentrate but still noticed that Kitty seemed unaffected. The vertigo he felt made it difficult to stand. He screamed out briefly in pain as he felt his body warp. Bones cracked in his chest and he could feel his skin tearing under his robes. After a few moments the pain was gone.

The scream caught Kitty's attention. Kumori looked like he was having trouble standing for a moment. She got up to help him keep his balance but he took a breath and seemed to regain his footing. She was still hesitant to speak, but concern overwhelmed reason. "Are you, ok?" She spoke softly holding back tears.

"I'm...fine. Thank you." Kumori bowed but the event troubled him. His wounds were gone but the pain lingered. "I am sorry master but I do not know your name. What is it you wish to be called?"

Kitty replied instantly. "Kitty Katswell and this." She started to introduce Dudley out of habit but realized her mistake. Sadness filled her eyes once again but without tears. "I'm sorry, but I have to report all this to my chief." She looked around, Kumori seemed to know a lot and she wanted to question him but her mind was on other thing. "Stay here, Don't go anywhere." She turned and ran to her car. She didn't bother to look back. She would figure out who this guy was later. Once in the car she drove off to T.U.F.F. and called in with her communicator. "Chief, this is Kitty calling in, I..." Her voice stopped. If felt like she was trying to speak with marbles in her throat. "We...We lost Dudley Sir." Tears ran down again as she relaid the news.

"C...m...n...Itty are...o...ere...we can't...you re..." The Chiefs voice cracked through between the heavy static. She could only assume it was just as bad on there end. Whatever caused that black...thing, must be causing this interference. She arrived at the headquarters only minutes later and didn't even turn the car off before leaping out and into the building. "Chief..." Everything went black again as she hit the floor.

"Ok Kitty, open your eyes." Dudley had led her into a room blindfolded and instructed her to keep her eyes closed as he removed the blindfold.

Kitty followed the instructions and opened them. The room was filled with candlelight. A small table draped with a red cloth and decorated with candles and rose petals stood in the middle of the small living room. She was in Dudley's new apartment and this was the surprise he wanted to show her. "Oh Dudley it's beautiful." She herself was dressed for the occasion. Dudley asked her to go on a date earlier that day and she had agreed. Things may have been rocky in the start but she grew to like the little guy. She was warring an emerald green dress with no back and only one strap that looped around her neck for support. It flowed close to her legs and didn't expand out like a traditional dress matching her curves. Dudley wore his best black shirt, but still no pants.

"Please, have a seat." Dudley pulled out her chair and waited for her to sit in it. After she did her pushed her to the table and sat in the other chair. "You look amazing tonight kitty." He had seen her dressed up before and thought she was beautiful then too but tonight she was dressed for him.

"You said that when Keswick dropped me off blindfolded." She tried to hide her blush and failed miserably at it of course.

"It was true then too." Dudley pushed a button on the table and the waiter came in with a platter. "Enjoy the meal miss Katswell." The waiter removed the lid and stepped back. The smell of smoked salmon quickly filled the room and made Kitty's mouth water.

Kitty could barely take her eyes off the food and that was just the first course. Her and Dudley ate and talked for hours. The marlin and tangerine ice cream was her favorite part of the meal. The evening was wonderful, she couldn't have asked for a better date. Dudley dismissed the waiter and chef he had hired for the event and closed the door behind them after Kitty thanked them for the meal. Dudley still had his back turned when she spoke nervously. "Hey Dudley." She knew she was taking a risk but she had given it a lot of thought and decided now was the time. "Isn't it time you showed me your bedroom as well?"

"Why would you want..." Dudley was cut off as she rushed and kissed him.

Kitty pulled back from the kiss and smiled. "I need to thank you for the meal as well don't I?"

Dudley was speechless. Sure he had thought about it but that wasn't his intention tonight. "Over there." He barely got the words out and pointed to the room.

Kitty grabbed him by the hand and slowly guided him to the room. It was a new room, that looked like it hadn't even been slept in yet. She had plans to fix that as they walked to the bed. She fell backwards and pulled him on top of her.

"Are you sure about this Kitty? I mean I..." Dudley wasn't really sure what to do in this situation.

"Do I look unsure?" Kitty leaned up and pulled him in for a kiss before he could respond. This was their night and she didn't care what happened next.

That morning they were still awake holding each other in there arms. Her dress was draped over the end of the bed but his shirt was nowhere to be seen. The room of silent as they enjoyed the sounds of each others breathing.

"Kitty?" Dudley looked up at his partner to see if she was still awake.

"Yes?" Kitty looked down after shifting a bit to see him better.

"I don't know when it happened but...all I know is that I love you and I have for a long time." Dudley was looking directly into her eyes searching for a response.

"Oh Dudley, I love you too. I always have. Its just with work and everything happening I had no way of telling you. Until tonight that is." She kissed him then rested her head on his chest. "I want to stay like this for a while longer."

"I'm sorry Kitty but you can't." Dudley pulled away from her and stood out of bed.

"Why not? We don't work today." She smiled. "Besides, I can make it worth your while."

"I'm sorry Kitty, but you can't live in memories forever." He walked farther back.

"What do you mean? Memories?" She got out of bed herself but the moment her feet touched the ground the bed vanished and she was dressed again in her normal outfit. She looked up to Dudley who was now also dressed. Only, he was bleeding from his forehead and chest. "Dudley! Your hurt...when...did you." She slowly started to remember why he was hurt, but she didn't want to.

"I'm sorry Kitty, I don't want this for you. You need to live, even if its without me." Dudley moved in close and looked at her with the same sadness in her eyes. "You have to live, for me. Because I'm..."

"Don't say it!" Kitty screamed. She covered her ears hoping that if he couldn't say it then it wasn't true. But she knew the truth.

Dudley reached out and gently removed her hands from her ears. "I love you Kitty, you know that. But you have to except that I'm gone. Its time for you to open your eyes, for real this time. Its time for you, to live."


End file.
